Niall Cullen, Findmypast
The 1798 Irish Rebellion is famous for being a key early revolt against British rule in Ireland and involved well-known figures like Theobald Wolfe Tone and Henry Joy McCracken.
The rebellion lasted 5 months and affected most of the country with crucial battles fought locally in the counties of Antrim, Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Down, Kildare, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Sligo, Wicklow and Wexford. Were your Irish ancestors involved in this brutal war?
As with most family history research, there are several sources you can consult when looking for your 1798 Rebellion ancestors but you’ll find one of the most comprehensive on Findmypast. The 1798 Claimants and Surrenders collection lists more than 8,000 names of both rebels who surrendered and also people who claimed for loss of property after the campaign had ended.
For those who surrendered you could uncover their name, address and where and when they gave themselves up. There’s even more detail in the lists of people who claimed losses including the specifics of the loss they claimed for and the amount of money they were granted. These are fascinating additions for your family tree.
For a period of Irish history that many records don’t survive, these intriguing resources could be the breakthrough you need for you tracing your family back to 18th century Ireland. Better still, you may even uncover that you’ve got some Irish rebels as ancestors!
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